BET For Brown People in the UK

BY ZOE S. Viacom's Black Entertainment Television (BET) will launch in the UK via News Corp's BskyB in 8.8 million homes. This is the network's first major expansion overseas. As far as competition, BET execs aren't worried, as there are no direct competitors BET's size in the UK. This is a good move for the cable network under the leadership of Debra Lee but we still think BET has a lot of work to do with their programming style. They also need to continue working on their digital offerings by sniffing out deals that make sense for their audience and their content. "For the U.K. version of BET, we will be giving BET's U.S. content a regionalized look and feel that reflects the U.K. marketplace, and as we grow and develop the channel, we look forward to partnering with the U.K. creative industry to give BET an even stronger British accent," BET's International General Manager Mike Armstrong said in a statement. Viacom's BET to launch in the United Kingdom

For Black Entertainment Television's Debra Lee we say, It's about time!!!

After seeing other cable nets coming up with hit shows that they should have come up with in the first place, the house that Bob Johnson built, Black Entertainment Television (BET) has discovered a little thing called "Original Programming". For years BET has built its brand on other people's backs, but not anymore. CEO Debra Lee has finally realized that, if BET wants to remain thee destination for African American cable viewers she has to spend some of Sumner Redstone's money. “What we have found over the years is that acquired and licensed programming has not done as well as we would have liked,” Ms. Lee said. “It was very clear that we had to invest more in original programming.” Have no fear, BET's Pexy of Entertainment Reggie Hudlin is here: “I want every black person with a TV watching, and a lot of people with TVs who like black people,” he said. “We want the black audience to start the day with BET and put the remote down at night without switching channels.” That's a tall order Reg but, you never know! At BET, Fighting the Rerun [NYT] EARLIER: Why are other cable networks beating BET to the punch? Their punch